Divisible locking steering wheel



DIVISIBLE LOCKING STEERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 14, 1919,.

1,426,773. 7 Patented Aug. 22, 1922,

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

mix/1mm? P WJPE'OK I PE Pflc/ren LC% W,

ATTUfP/VEY P. w. RECK. DIVISIBLE LOCKING STEERING WHEEL.

APPLlCATlON FILED JULY I4, I9l9.

Patented Aug-22, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET'2.

INVENT7E= P W PEGK' PEZPJHMZMWL ATTUENEY P" w. R ECK. DIVISIBLE LOCKING STEERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, I919.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

3ISHEETSSHEET 3 E 0. V5 WW vmember disclosing a broken portion of one bered vrespectively 46, 47, 35 .and""38, and

member.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER W. ,REGK, OF BETTEN'IQORF, IOWA.

' UNITED STATES DIVISIBLE LOCKING STEERING WHEEL.

Application filed July 4,

To all wizom'i'it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER WV. Black, a citizenof the United States, residing .at Bettendorf, in the county of Scott and State of I0wa,'haveinvented a new and useful Divisible, Locking Steering NVheel of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto improvements in steering wheels which are capable of being divided andlocked'. r

"The objects ofmy invention are, to pro- ,vide a steering wheel capable of being divided; and revolved idly upon a steering post; and of *having its parts locked unto each other in such way as to prevent effectively operating the steering rod of the machine; also rendering it easier to get in and'out ofa machine,and at the same time to provide an effective locking device, yet

providing a'wheel readily fixe'd efl'ectively.

to the steering rod. I

I attain theseobjects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccomp'a'nying drawings,

in which:

Figures 1 and '2 are respectivelyplan and side views of the wheel.

:meinbers.

i :Fig. 5is: a side elevation of the wheel one- 7 half in cross section.

. ,Fig. 6.is a perspective view ofthe lower .member,. disclosing a broken portion of one of the spokes.

Fig. 7 is acperspective view of the upper of the spokes.

Fig. 8'is a perspective view of the upper end-of a steering rod.

Fig. 9 is a planview of the sleeve member incross section.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the sleeve Figs. 11 ,and12 are plan views of the pilot, thelatter showing the samepartly in cross section in side elevation. 1

Figs. 13, 14 andl5 are respectively per- .spectiveviews of the stop collar, washer. and pin.

as shown in Figs. 1,2 and 5, having four spokes radiating in pairs respectively from hub. members 4l3and2, each spoke num- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Augggz,

1919. Serial No. 310,725.

35 and -38 ra diate from lower hollow hub member 24.

Member 43 through hole means 43* in its top, is loosely secured by nut 57 and washer 57 and the threaded-end l -of steering rod 1, .conjunctively and vibratorily upon the top of sleeve member'9 positioned with its skirt 45 enveloping the upper notched skirt 25 of lower member 24,*to facilitate the fittingand operation ofmember 48 upon sleeve member 9. Sleevememher 9 is provided with a flatly flanged top and a neck portion 4 on its 'top corresponding to'the hole 43 (not shown) in thet-op of hub memberll 7 [Hub member 43 has a'pair of rectangular notches 4L4 cutin its'skirt'opposite each other positioned diametrically betweenits spokes .46 and 4l7,-for-the purpose of fitting engagingly over spokes 35 and 38 when lower member 24 is raised-permitting the formation of a circular rim as show'n'in Fig.2. Sleeve?) is fitted upon the end 1" of steering rod 1, by means of the-boxing 7 suited to journaled "end 1 of steering rod '1 and keyed :thereon bykey-in slot 1 of rod -1,

thus. supporting.upper'member 4:3 as aforemember 24 has not-ches'26i-nits upperskirt,

soipositionedthatthey do not engage flanges 5 when the spokes are in apposition, as shown'in F 'ig.'5,=but do engage-them-w-hen the spokes aredivergent as shownin Figs2.

In addition -to the tapering boxing '7the inner portion or skirt of sleeve -9 is journaled 7 and provided with a flange '7" at its top, to fit neatlyupon the top end of a steering post 2 asshown in Fig. 2,-the top end of the steering post being intendedto rest snugly against flange 7* at -the bottom end of boxing 7 the lower end portion 11 Similar numerals refer to similar'parts throughout the'several views.

of the sleeve having holes12 therein for-the insertion of pins in. securing the'lower memher 24 thereon by'means-oi' a stop collar 13 {fitted on-the lower end ofsaidsleeve.

The stop collar '13 is a square faced ring inwardly grooved suitably ;to admit pin means (not shown) in the holes '12 of the sleeve, the pin operating between the inner wall 15 and side walls 1 1 and 16 of the tions 25 of the upper skirt of 2 1 to engage with or disengage j with flanges 5 7 1n grooves rPIlOt. ,18.

's provided with plural protrud .ing arms "22 suitable for turning it, the balls 2.3 on the ends of arms ,22, being for ornamentationandto prevent injury to aperson.

The innerportionof the pilot is divided into;a grooved portion 21 and. a threaded portion 19'- between side walls 20 and 21,

4; q the grooved portion 21 also having another subside wall 21, and it is operated upon i sleeve 9. by means of its threads 10.;

' and 20? of the groovein pilot18 are made circumferential-1y larger than its oppos te lower threaded side 19, suitably .to receive the lower end of lower member 2 1 when the lower member is mounted, on sleeve 9, and are'used tohold lower'member in place on sleeve 9 and regulate its upward and downward movement thereon by means of a pin 17 ,operating conjunctively in groove 21 through hole 28 of the lower. member 24 against threaded portion 10 ofthe sleeve 9,

' when by revolution of the pilot. its threaded p,ort,ion,l9. engagesthreads 10 of the sleeve 9,,thus by revolution of the pilot causing an upward or downward movement of lower :member. 24 as desired,- to cause itsnotched 1 skirt 25,to engage or disengage with other POIlJlOIlSDf the mechanism as desired.

I When spokes 47 and 35 are brought one above the other the lower member 24 may be forced upward until the spokes are brought longitudinally in contact with each other, twhenbymeans of a locking device imbedded .rin .one f said spokes they. may be locked eunto each other, and the dividedwheel be revolved aimlessly upon the sleeve 9.

It will beobserved that thespokes 47 and .35. incline outward from the upper and vlower hub members, the effect of which is Ith'atwhenthelock .33 which is provided in ,the lower arm member 35 is turned, to throw 7 ithe bolt 34 outward, the boltenters the cav-' .ityz48 at an angle whicheifectuates a lock preventing the slipping downward of lower member 24, and the lock seat 33 and cavity seat 48 being made rectangular fit flat,

' hidingthelocking device 33 which is inserted from thetop .ofspoke 35, as indicated in d'otted linesin Fig. 5 andshown in Fig. 4. The lock is held in place when not in use The groove 21 and upper side walls 20- member" by plate 32, by screw means 32, covering lockseat33. v I

When Spokes 35 and 47 are disengaged and the lower member 24 turned quarteringly as shown in Fig. 1, and lower member 24 is forced upward by pilot 18 andits upper notched skirt 25 engages flanges 5 the wheel is in working position. When the pilot 18 is lowered and the spokes areturned parallel the wheel will not guide the steering rod 1.

Inorder to aid the finding of flanges 5 the notched skirt 25" as desired, I provide afinding-ball 6 which'isse'ated'upon a coil 1 spring G in a milled hole 6 sunk in'the upper surface of flange .5. i I claim: 1. A divisible ing a rim divided into quarters,"each quarter mounted on the end of a spoke.

2. In a'steering mechanism, a' steering post, a sleeve fixed to the upper end of the post, a divisible hub consistingofan upper locking steering wheel,hav-

and a lower membeij ea'ch mounted on said sleeve, the lower hub member. and sleeve having parts adapted tojinterlock in onepo sition of the sleeveand means onrthe'lower end of the sleeve adapted to force saidhub tion.

3. In a means of, a neck portion protruding from its top; andtofbeing fitted securely. over the 7 upper end of a steering post at its skirt eX- tremity, having onthe outer periphery of its top a flange portion, such flange portion having in its edges notches suitable for receiving the notched skirt of the ilower hub member, said sleeve member having. a

- threaded portion on its outer surfacespaced below said flanged portion, suitable for coa action with threadmeans, of a pilotmember operated thereon, a skirt, portion 'below'said threaded portion said skirtiportion being provided with a hole in its bottom suitable for use in attachinga stop collar thereon,

the top of said sleevebe'ing provided with multiple pot holes capable ofreceivingfinding-ball means embedded therein between rotatably receiving'the said upper hub m'em her when mounted thereon. i I

1. In a steering wheel a pair of hub memand sleeve into interlocking' rela- I, steering wheelhaving a pair of divisible hub members operated upon' a sleeve member; a sleeve member capable of being firmly secured upon a steering rod by said top andthe innersurfac'e of th'euppelfi; hub memberpand'jou'rnal' means capableof bers, spokes supported thereby, a locki carried by one of said spokes, andja second spoke provided with a er'ioperating lock'recess. l

5. In a steering wheel waiver hub mem bers, spokessupported thereby, a lockin bolt mounted in the upper sideof one of sai spokes, and a second spoke "formed with a recess in its underside for receiving said bolt. I

6. In a steering wvheel having a sleeve member capable of being secured upon a steering rod by means of a neck portion extended from the top of said sleeve and of having its skirt portion fitted over the upper end of a steering post, upon which sleeve member is operated a pair of hub members each capable of supporting spokes and a portion of a rim; a pilot member outwardly disposed upon said sleeve, said pilot member being secured by pin means operating within a groove within the inner periphery of the said pilot connectedly through the said skirt portion of the said lower hub member upon said sleeve, said pilot member being capable of being screwed upward and downward upon said sleeveby co-acting thread means in such manner as to carry with it the said lower hub member; and a stop collar member secured upon the bottom of said sleeve member capable of securing the said lower hub member and said pilot member movably upon said sleeve.

'7. In a steering wheel having a pair of divisible hub members having spokes protruding from their sides, operated upon a sleeve member; a sleeve member having a neck portion reduced upwardly from its top in suehmanner as to serve as a means for securing said sleeve fixedly upon a steering rod and as a journal for a cap-hub member and having a bell skirt bottom portion suited to be closely fitted over the upper end of a steering post, said sleeve member also having a notched flange protruding at right angles from the outer periphery of its top; an upper hub member of cap form; having a. center hole in its crown suited to form a boxing for the neck of said sleeve member, fitted cap end upward over the top and ournaled end of said sleeve member, a multiplicity or square notches in cross section ar' ranged in its skirt suitable to receive the spokes of said lower hub member; a lower hub member of band form, of diameter suitable to be capable of being moved upward and downward rotatably upon said sleeve member below said flange by means of a pilot member and to pass between the sleeve and the skirt of the upper cap hub member, having multiple square notch means provided in the upper periphery of its skirt above the parallel of the upper axiliary line of said spokes, suitable for engagement with the notched flanges of the said sleeve member, multiple hole means provided in its skirt below the parallel of the lower auxiliary line of said spokes suitable for receiving the attaching means of said pilot member; stop collar means suitable for securing said lower hub member and said pilot member upon said sleeve and secured upon the bottom of the skirt thereof by pin means; nut means suitable for attaching said upper cap hub member rotatably upon the neck portion of said sleeve member.

PETER W. BECK. Witnesses:

A. G. SAMPSON, GnAoE A. J OHANSEN. 

